Tokyo will have to find a new signature venue for the 2020 Olympics.
ArchDaily reports that Japan, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, announced today that it is ditching its plans to build an 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium in the city. In 2012, Zaha Hadid's architecture firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, won the rights to design the bicycle helmet-shaped stadium.
The rising price tag was one of the downfalls of the 70-meter-tall, 290,000-sm stadium. In 2014, the cost of the project was 163 billion yen, but that rose to 252 billion yen this year—the equivalent of jumping from $1.3 billion to around $2 billion.
The project was riddled with revisions and delays, along with some serious design flaws. Even as recently as a month ago, Japan was still set on continuing with the stadium, citing that any modifications would lead to construction delays.
Critics said the stadium would have encroached on local green space, like the Jingu Outer Gardens, and would have put a financial strain on future generations. Two Pritzker laureates, Toyo Ito and Fumihiko Maki, created a petition that gained nearly 15,000 signatures to stop the construction of the stadium. Alternate proposals included retrofitting existing stadiums from the 1964 Olympics.
Abe said that despite abandoning the design, the stadium would be ready by 2020 for the Olympics and the Paralympics that year, but that it would not be ready for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Zaha Hadid Architects released a statement saying that a revamped project would be ready for the 2019 Rugby World Cup along with the Olympics, and that "it is absolutely right that the benefits and costs of the new National Stadium should be clearly and accurately communicated and understood by the public and decision-makers in Japan and we hope that this is one of the objectives of the review announced by the Prime Minister."
Related Stories
Energy-Efficient Design | Oct 24, 2022
Roadmap shows how federal buildings can reach zero embodied carbon emissions by 2050
The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) has released a roadmap that it says charts a path for federal buildings projects to achieve zero embodied carbon emissions by 2050.
Higher Education | Oct 24, 2022
Wellesley College science complex modernizes facility while preserving architectural heritage
A recently completed expansion and renovation of Wellesley College’s science complex yielded a modernized structure for 21st century STEM education while preserving important historical features.
Mixed-Use | Oct 20, 2022
ROI on resilient multifamily construction can be as high as 72%
A new study that measured the economic value of using FORTIFIED Multifamily, a voluntary beyond-code construction and re-roofing method developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), found the return can be as high as 72%.
40 Under 40 | Oct 19, 2022
Meet the 40 Under 40 class of 2022
Each year, the editors of Building Design+Construction honor 40 architects engineers, contractors, and real estate developers as BD+C 40 Under 40 awards winners. These AEC professionals are recognized for their career achievements, passion for the AEC profession, involvement with AEC industry organizations, and service to their communities.
Designers | Oct 19, 2022
Architecture Billings Index moderates but remains healthy
For the twentieth consecutive month architecture firms reported increasing demand for design services in September, according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Building Team | Oct 18, 2022
Brasfield & Gorrie chairman’s home vandalized by anti-development activists
Activists vandalized the home and vehicles of Miller Gorrie, chairman of Birmingham-based Brasfield & Gorrie, in protest of a planned $90 million, 85-acre police, fire and public safety training center in Atlanta.
Mixed-Use | Oct 18, 2022
Mixed-use San Diego tower inspired by coastal experience and luxury travel
The new 525 Olive mixed use San Diego tower was inspired by the coastal experience and luxury travel.
University Buildings | Oct 18, 2022
A carbon-neutral-ready university campus opens in Hong Kong
In early September, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) officially opened its new, KPF-designed campus in Nansha, Guangzhou (GZ).
Codes and Standards | Oct 17, 2022
Ambitious state EV adoption goals put pressure on multifamily owners to provide chargers
California’s recently announced ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles starting in 2035—and New York’s recent decision to follow suit—are putting pressure on multifamily property owners to install charging stations for tenants.
Justice Facilities | Oct 17, 2022
San Antonio’s new courthouse aims to provide safety and security while also welcoming the public
The San Antonio Federal Courthouse, which opened earlier this year, replaces a courthouse that had been constructed as a pavilion for the 1968 World’s Fair.
